


Quotes that Ring

by feelingfrazzled



Series: The continuing adventures of Charlie Chase and Drew [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, OT3 from a Jaytim AU, Original work - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-02-09 11:18:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1980927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feelingfrazzled/pseuds/feelingfrazzled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quotes from Various sources with drabbles from CCD verse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Never Let Go

“He felt warm and familiar. He felt solid and safe. I wanted to cling to his shirt, bury my face into the warm curve of his neck, and never let go.”  
\--  
Drew trembled as the air blew around them. His eyes watered, and his chest wouldn’t expand, he couldn’t breathe, he just ached so badly. Chase wasn’t responding, well, not at first. Must have been surprise, or, at least that’s what Drew kept telling himself. He buried his face deeper in Chase’s neck, sucking in aborted breaths, before the weight of the world fell off his shoulders. The man’s arms had found their way to the small of his back, and then slowly, crawled up his back, hooking under his own arms, and squeezing—squeezing till it was hard to breathe again, but in a completely different way. A better way. A strangled sob made its way from Drew’s cracked and bitten tender lips, as Chase accepted him back in. into his life, after so long- so long he had been so far away, and now… now he was here. They were together, and there was nothing, nothing ever again that would separate them. Not sickness, not distance, no, not even death. Drew was sure of it. They held each other in the middle of that path, people simply sidestepping the couple, as the crisp autumn breeze whisked the splotches of color around them.


	2. People Don't Like Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “People don’t like love, they like that flittery flirty feeling. They don’t love love - love is sacrificial, love is ferocious, it’s not emotive. Our culture doesn’t love love, it loves the idea of love. It wants the emotion without paying anything for it. It’s ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous” Charlie threw up her arms, pacing in front of the man on the couch. “You two are idiots. Really, truly, idiots. Did you really think this was it? All this was just to make you feel good? The dinner and movie dates, the sex, it was just to make you feel good?!” she asked. “Do you even love eachother? Much less, me?” she asked again, her voice shaking.   
“Of course we do--”  
“No, no you don’t! that’s the base of this entire fight! Don’t you see?!” she interrupted him. “You’re upset, because Chase didn’t tell you he was leaving this weekend for his mom. His mom’s funeral. ” She snapped. “No, you didn’t even give a thought to what he might be going through, no, you were upset because it messed with your plans. Do you not see how screwed up that is!” she ground her teeth, as she continued to pace, before turning her back on the man, refusing to show him her tears. “This isn’t love, Drew. This is.. I don’t even know. You.. people in general, they don’t like love, they like that flittery flirty feeling. They don’t love love - love is sacrificial, love is ferocious, it’s not emotive. Don’t you understand?! You don’t love love him, you love the idea of loving him. Of loving me. You want the emotion without paying anything for it. It’s ridiculous.” She bit down hard on her lip, before storming out, into the bedroom that all three of them had been sharing recently. As soon as the door slammed shut, she grabbed a pillow, screaming her frustrations into the pillow. What the hell, what was wrong with her? Why was everything going so wrong? She thought… she thought she could trust her boyfriends—no, trust Drew, to know what it was like. What it was like to lose a parent. Someone irreplaceable. But no, he was too concerned with the physical, the touches. She kept screaming into the pillow, turning the soft heather colored fabric to the color of the storm clouds outside. The tears soaking into the pillow, the grief washing through her in waves. No way in hell was she going home. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere but here. She screamed till her throat refused to make any more noise, her entire body shaking worse than the plane must have as it plummeted to the earth, into those cold, unforgiving waters that took her daddy away. Took both of the people she loved most in the world, away from her. And now…   
The thoughts slowly stopped as she passed out, body still shuddering, slowly recovering from the pain, the hurt that she had experienced day after day since Tim left.


	3. A True Solider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”

Chase stared at the words, letting them echo in his mind. The sharpie was still fresh, his cheeks still warm from where Drew had kissed them before he left. Where had this even come from? What did it mean? Neither of them were in the army. With a small frown, he rubbed at it, and then went off to see what Charlie was making him eat today. The road to recovery was hard, but… it was getting easier by the week.   
“Its.. I guess it’s a thank you” Drew said, his mouth full of dumplings, and Charlie poked his cheek, giving him a look that reminded him to chew, swallow, then talk. Drew rolled his eyes and poked her with his chop stick. He swallowed hard “As I was saying, it’s a thank you”. Chase looked confused, and Drew continued. “through this whole thing, you’ve been… you’ve been so strong… and its. Its not because you wanted it. Because we all know what you wanted. But… you kept fighting. For us. And for that…” Drew leaned over, and took his hand, squeezing gently. “for that, Im grateful, and I love you more and more every day.” That soft, genuine smile appeared, one that was so rarely seen from the younger boy. Chase flushed a little, ducking his head, but he gently squeezed Drew’s hand three times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Drew wrote in Sharpie on Chase's arm was the quote for this chapter.


	4. Don't let go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie misses Chase's smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I remember  
> how seeing the shape of your mouth  
> that first time, I kept staring  
> until my blood turned to rain.  
> Some things take root  
> in the brain and just don’t  
> let go.”

The first time they met, Charlie had been stunned. I mean, she knew Drew talked about him a lot, and she assumed he was attractive but he was just.. so different than Drew. Drew was a skinny, black haired kid, while Chase… He was an athlete, taller than Drew, stronger, tanner.   
He was fucking gorgeous  
It didn't help that he was shy as all heck, polite, and absolutely head over heels in love with Drew. It was so obvious and it made that afternoon glorious. She ran all the way up the stairs once they dropped her off, slamming the door to Tim’s dark room, starting to develop the pictures herself. They had come out perfect, particularly the ones on the picnic table. The way Drew grinned widely when Chase dipped him, and Chase’s smug face at getting the upper hand. Their chemistry was contagious, and Charlie couldn't help but love it.   
And the thing was, when Chase finally asked her out…. It was the same. He radiated that interest, that… love. He set his chin in his hand when he watched her talk about how she was setting up her website, offering helpful hints, and then when they walked to get ice cream after, He reached out and grabbed onto the cuff of her long-sleeved dress, not forcing her to help his hand. He was just so… different. Sweet. And that smile he sent her whenever she said something supposed to be funny, his perfect teeth and perfect hair and ugh. When they were hovering outside of her door, talking quietly, and he slipped off his jacket, letting her take it, and she couldn't stop laughing at the sharpie on his shoulder pointing to a spot that said ‘kiss here’ from Drew. The curve of his mouth when he was trying to stop laughing but couldn't because she kept laughing. It was beautiful.  
~  
Charlie missed that little curve.  
She hadn't seen Chase smile in so long, and she didn't realize how much of her depended on that small movement.   
So when she cracked a cheesy joke at breakfast, setting a small egg in front of Chase, and his lips lifted and that dimple in his cheek formed… she almost dropped her plate. Quickly setting it down, she hid a smile behind her hand, watching him dotingly.   
“…What?” he asked, pausing from glaring at the food  
“Some things just take root in the brain and don’t let go..” she murmured, and smiled softly at him. “Like your smile.”  
Of course the idiot had the decency to blush.


	5. Tidal Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Missing you comes in waves. Tonight, I am drowning"

Drew loved France. He loved school. The magic of Paris was real, coming alive in the centers of fashion, even if the snobby-ness of some of the top designers could be annoying, Drew found himself surrounded by people and things that he adored.   
But he couldn’t help but feel like he was drowning.   
It took him longer than he wanted to admit, smacking him upside the brain when he settled down with his dorm mates to watch 17 Again. Charlie loved the movie, and Drew could hear her arguing with Chase over how much he looked like Zac Efron, and that’s why she loved watching him shirtless. Neither of them believed her.   
Suddenly he couldn’t breathe, that feeling of drowning was intensified. The warmth in the room wasn’t that of love but that of almost crude enjoyment which could come from a group of gay men watching their male idol. The chair he was sitting on was separated from the others, (not that he wished to snuggle with some of the more…active members of the apartment) too firm and nowhere near as warm as he would be wedged between his lovers.   
He had to see them.   
A quick calculation (okay, google search) later, he found Chase and Charlie should be at home, as it was nearing lunch over there. He quickly excused himself, and locked the door to his shared bedroom. He sat on the desk, quickly logging in to skype. He just hoped they were…of course, they weren’t online. He takes a deep breath, as the butterflies in stomach increase before he feels like he’s going to be sick. His phone service is outrageous for international rates but that doesn’t matter right now as he shoots a desperate text to Chase, saying that he needs to see him and Charlie.   
It takes far too long before they respond. He hears the noise from where he’s laying on his bunk, nearly falling out of it to hear the music signaling the call start, before he clicks on the answer button. Connection is terrible, but he finally sees Charlie in the chair and Chase hanging over her shoulder holding a spatula. The light from the windows is bright, and their faces are happy. There is noise in the background, indicating that Jason and Tim are probably over, maybe even Chase’s mom.   
What a wonderful environment for Drew to break down in.   
“Hey Cupcake~” Charlie grins, she’s not too worried, Chase probably didn’t tell her the desperation in Drew’s message.  
“Cupcake? Since when is he cupcake?” Chase asked, looking down at her with eyebrows raised.   
“Its cute, okay. Unlike you.” She huffed, and Chase rolled his eyes, resting near constantly ice cold fingers against her neck, making her squeal.   
“You okay, babe?” Chase asked him, making almost direct eye contact, staring at the camera with slight concern. Drew had backed up so he wasn’t in the direct light of the screen as soon as Charlie had greeted him, shaking and covering his face. Tears came slow and quiet, and his chest ached. He missed them so much.   
“…Drew?” Charlie sounded worried now, leaning forward to try and get a better look at the camera. “Is your mic off? Are you okay?” She wondered, frowning at the screen before glancing up at Chase. It had only been a month since Drew had been gone. True, it had been hard on them all, but Charlie had Chase, and they kept in touch with their partner. But Drew was so tactile, so demanding of their constant attention it had to be rougher on him.   
“…I want to come home” Drew finally whispered, slowly scooting into the blue light and rubbing his face. “I feel like I’m drowning I…” He was almost gasping for air, and the noise drew the attention of the parents.   
Tim frowned at Jason who had stopped trying to steal the cookie dough, listening. “Should we..?” the older man asked, and Tim shushed him, quietly stepping out of the kitchen, but staying out of view of the camera while watching their daughter and her boyfriends.   
“Drew, Its only been a month…” Charlie said slowly, reaching out on instinct to comfort him, but her hand falling to rest on the cool screen. Chase disappeared for a moment, making eye contact with Jason and Tim. He didn’t look panicked, just worried. Drew had time like this, but never when he was so far away from home. They had no idea how to help. Grabbing a chair of his own, he came back, sitting next to Charlie and adjusting the camera. Drew was still crying his eyes out, face flushed and probably warm with both shame and the hot tears trickling down his cheeks. “…You’re gonna be okay, Drew, cmon, look at me…” Charlie breathed, grabbing Chase’s hand under the desk and leaning forward a bit.   
“That’s what I..I thought that I..” he couldn’t get two sentences out, just trying to catch his breath.   
“Just breathe.” Chase’s deep, soothing voice rang out, an almost anchor to Drew, who started taking deeper breaths, looking up and seeing their faces again. His eyes were bloodshot from tears and a lack of sleep, face splotchy.   
“Okay” he whimpered, before rubbing his face some more. “I just… I miss you guys so much right now….” He murmured, resting his chin on his palm as he watched the camera.   
“We miss you too” they said in unison. Charlie smirked, and bumped Chase, who kind of laughed. “It’s not like we’re unreachable, Drew” Chase consoled him. “We’re here right now, arnt we?”   
“Its not the same”  
“I know. But it’s what we’ve got for now”  
“I just want to be home”  
“Not yet, Love. Not yet.”  
“How much longer?”  
“Three Months” Charlie answers, pulling a calendar from where it was outside of camera view. “You have it marked on your calendar?”  
“No..” Drew said sheepishly, and she shakes her head.   
“Maybe that will help.”  
“Okay.” He said with a sigh. “…Is anyone else home?” he asked, and with that, Tim gave Jason a look who sighed loud enough to be heard, and making Drew laugh as they came into view.   
“Hey kiddo.” Jason smirks  
“Hi Drew. You doing okay?” Tim asks, hand resting on Charlie’s shoulder while Jason hovered behind him  
“I will be. I think.”   
“You will” Chase amends for him, and Drew startles when someone bangs on the door of his shared room. Movie was over, he guessed.   
“One-- Un instant, se il vous plait” Drew calls, and Charlie sighs, looking over at Chase.   
“He’s so hot when he does that” she says, and that makes Drew laugh again.   
“Can I call you again tomorrow?” he asks, and Chase nods as there’s more angry protesting from the other side of the door.   
“We love you, Drew. “ Charlie says, to which everyone agrees before Drew says his goodbyes.   
He’s no longer drowning, kept afloat by the love of his partners and their family. Three more months. He will survive the waves until then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been so long since I've written these guys! sorry for the probably sub par writing :P also, Chase's face claim is Aaron Tvait, though I wrote the first part of this chapter back when it was Zac Efron.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope yall enjoyed!!!


End file.
